Читать книгу Lost Worlds of 1863. Relocation and Removal of American Indians in the Central Rockies and the Greater Southwest онлайн

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The Paiutes linguistically belong to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family of languages. Although the language of the Northern Paiute is similar to that of the southern branch, the Southern Paiutes speak the Colorado River Numic language, which is more closely related to Numic groups other than the Northern Paiutes. The Numu of Owens Valley speaks Mono, a language closely related to that of the Northern Paiute even if many “northerners” claim that they cannot understand the speech of “southerners.”⁹ Many Paiutes speak dialects similar to those spoken by the Shoshone. Historically there were approximately 21 Northern Paiute bands, with two or more other enclaves in contiguous areas of California.¹⁰ The Owens Valley group consisted of six distinctive tribal groups, while the Southern Paiute traditionally had between 16 to 31 subgroups or bands.¹¹

The Northern Paiutes and the Owens Valley segment developed cultures and societies well adapted to the harsh realities of a desert environment. Generally speaking, the Owens Valley environment was favorable to that prevailing elsewhere in the Great Basin, allowing the Owens Valley Paiute to develop a semi-settled life unknown in other parts of Numu territory. Depending on the season, most northern Numic speakers occupied a specific camping place centering on either a foraging range or a lake or wetland that provided fish and/or waterfowl—although dependence on fishing and communal duck hunting was virtually unknown among the villagers of Owens Valley. Pronghorn antelope, mountain sheep, deer, and rabbits were the objects of communal hunts, while piñon nuts would be gathered in the mountains. The Paiutes traded pine nuts and salt for acorns and acorn flour from the California tribes. Grass seeds and edible roots supplied nutrients in the meadows and marshes.¹²